


Sonic the Hedgehog: Hidden (A Story Of Secrets) [INDEFINITE HIATUS!]

by Serenity_Midnight



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)
Genre: A thing you will probably never read, But don't worry they were just a few, But it's epic and i'm keeping it :P, Gen, Minor Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Pro tagging, Serenity_Midnight Presents, So enjoy that., Tbh the title has very little to do with the story so far
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-20 11:07:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11334489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serenity_Midnight/pseuds/Serenity_Midnight
Summary: "Don't we all have something to hide? Whether it's a hidden crush, or just a secret nobody knows. We all have secrets, hidden away in the backs of our minds. And we act like it's normal, even if it nags at us, chewing on the thin fabrics of our sanity. We act like we're fine. But, in reality, it drives us mad."This is the totally average story of Serenity Midnight, a totally average hedgehog, with a totally average job, a totally average life, and a TOTALLY average past.Yeah no.Nobody here's buying that, Missy.Except apparently everyone.Huh. I guess being a repairwoman/agent has it's perks.(On an indefinite hiatus while i focus on my other work, my art, and trying to advance a few other things.)





	1. Green Hills and Robot Repairs

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there. I see you have come to read, yeah? Well, eh, don't totally count on it being perfect. There's little typos here and there and I'm obviously not taking this seriously enough to keep on a schedule like I promised so. Yeaaah. Enjoy! I hope! You! Ugh, I can never do on the spot notes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It begins.

* * *

 A short figure stands over a table, wearing a lab coat too long for it's stature. "How long will the upgrades take?" A deep, almost silly voice sounds. But it's not from the figure.

 "I can't be sure. He's still damaged, so I have to factor that in.. Maybe a week if I have help," A female voice calls, more likely from the figure. She has an average tone, with a hint of a southern accent.

 "Good. I'll send help in soon. Start repairs immediately. And luck to you, Midnight," The male says. A click echoes across the room, indicating it was a call. The figure sighs.

 "I just hope this works," She says. She turns around and types something into a computer. It unlocks and a rush of data flows across the giant screen, casting light across the room. In the light, she appears to be a hedgehog, magenta with rounded quills. Odd style, but it seems to work on her. Her eyes don't connect, and there's a few stray, sharper quills on the sides of her face. She appears to be wearing clear rubber gloves over normal, white fabric ones. Her teal eyes scan the screen, and multiple clicks echo from the mouse and keyboard. They close and her eyelids meet her peach muzzle.

 She wipes her eye, ruffling her eyelashes a little, then they straighten out as she opens her eyes again. A music player is opened, and the music for Stardust Speedway bad future plays, the one from the Japan soundtrack. She smirks as she turns back around, shaking her head as the music echoes around the large room.

 She stands over the table, and seems to unscrew a bolt from another, rusty and dirty metal figure. It's deactivated, and very damaged. It doesn't seem like it could ever function again, but the man seems to believe she can repair it. And she thinks she can fix it in a week? The two both must be crazy.

 A knock on the door interrupts our monologue and a robotic voice calls. "Serenity? We were teleported to your workshop," One says. "Yeah, the Boss says you need help workin' on something," Another adds.

 The figure, named Serenity by the robots but as Midnight from the man, practically throws the wrench and screwdriver down on the metal table, causing an extremely loud clank. She runs to a door, revealing red shoes, bearing a diagonal white stripe from the ankle to the toe. Her lab coat unbuttons and falls loose as she opens the door, revealing a golden crop top and skirt, just a little shorter then the coat.She pulls up a pair of goggles she must have put on as she started work, and on the other side of the door are Orbot and Cubot.

 "Hi! May we come in?" Orbot asks, waving. Serenity nods, steps to the side so the robots can hover in, then closes and locks the door.

 "So what's the project today?" Cubot asks, excitedly peeking over the table.

 "More upgrades and repairs. I'm still not happy about it, but it's better then what I used to do," the girl says, pulling out a step facing the computer screen.

 "What did you do before your promotion, anyway?" Orbot asks. Serenity groans as the robots kind of hover-jump onto the step, her now facing them. The cobalt figure on the table shimmers in the light, despite all the dents and dirt.

 "I guess you two were still in production, huh? ..Laundry," the girl says. "Phew, what an upgrade.. Let's get to work. I need to recharge," Cubot says. Orbot and Serenity nod as they begin.

* * *

"Soniic! Wait up," A young fox yells, running at almost full speed. His tails spin to get him moving faster. He seems to be chasing a blue hedgehog, running in a ninja style with his hands in the wind behind him. He rushes forward to the top of a hill, stopping at the peak. The fox jumps, spinning forward, then uses his tails to fly up to the peak with him.

 "Not a bad view, eh?" The hedgehog says, looking over a field of grass, with a lake at the end, hills behind it. Ancient totem poles dot the landscape as striped patches of grass catch the attention.

 "Yeah. It's so much like Emerald Hill here," The fox says.

 "It is kinda like it, isn't it? Well, I haven't been to the real Green Hill in a long time. I figured I'd show ya what it's like," The hedgehog says, ruffling up the fur on the fox's head.

 "Sonic, stop! Hehe," he giggles, smoothening it back out.

 "But still, after that Space Muncher fiasco, I feel like we all need a break. No more adventures for a little while, just plain old relaxation," The hedgehog says, flopping down after a hop. His feet dangle over the edge of the short cliff as the fox simply sits. Birds chirp in the distance, flying over the lake in a messy pattern. Some stop and peck at the grass, others bathe themselves in the lake.

 "It's so peaceful here without so many robots, huh Tails?" The blue hedgehog says, forgetting his fox friend Tails has never been here.

 "I guess it would be kinda hectic with robots attacking you at every turn. And spikes. Can't forget those," Tails says, shuddering, but the hedgehog has fallen asleep.

."Sonic? Oh," He adds, naming the hedgehog, before looking over at him.

"I suppose a nap couldn't hurt," Tails says, before lying down. He stares at the cloud shapes for a minute before he closes his eyes.

* * *

 Rumbles of thunder and the sounds of rain against metal echo inside the lab, as welding work is done on the figure. The robots stand back as Serenity works. She stops and sets the can down, looking at what seems to be plating melted down into three cobalt fins at the back of it's head.

 "Looks good. Glad we got the processor back in place," She says, high-fiving the robots, one at a time.

 "Well, we need to recharge, badly. Can you do some work alone?" Orbot asks.

 "Sure. I'm going to repair the chest next. That hyperdrive engine won't run in this state," She says, a gloved hand on her chin as the robots go over to color coded stations. They compact themselves and plug in, beginning their recharge.

 Serenity sighs, beginning to work on a thruster built into the chest of what now appears to be none other then Metal Sonic. By now the music has stopped playing, and there is loud rumbles of thunder from a passing storm.

 The lights flicker with every gust, threatening to go out at any moment. Rain hits the roof of the structure, with an almost vicious intent. The wind howls, and all this mixes with the low hum of the computer, and the occasional metallic clank from the metal tools against the metal table and the metal robot.

 Not intending to add to the already creepy atmosphere, Serenity hums a tune familiar to her. She works like this for hours on end, the storm refusing to let up.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeaaah, it's okay. I'm putting up the rest of the chapters I already have on FFN so they're both caught up.


	2. Friends Forged In Steel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serenity gets an appointment with the doctor.
> 
> Sonic and Tails prepare to attack the base.

 

* * *

"Done. Now all he needs is that software update," Serenity says, rubbing the back of her neck. She's been working all night, taking only short naps throughout the five days she has been repairing.

 "Wonderful! And with two whole days to spare," Orbot says. The purple hedgehog plugs a wire into the robot's head, and into the computer, via USB port. Multiple pop-ups raid the screen, as the computer accesses the robot's hard drive.

 A ring comes from Cubot, fidgeting around with some spare parts. He opens up a compartment in the top of his head, revealing a phone, and he pulls it out.

 "What? You know what, it's weird but I'm not surprised," Serenity facepalms as the robot talks to someone on the other end.

 "Huh? Oh, okay boss. It's for you," he says, hovering over to her, now sitting in an office chair.

 "Hello?" She asks, taking the phone from Cubot's hand.

 "How is work on Metal Sonic going? Hopefully smooth?" The man from before asks.

 "We've just finished the main repairs. Of course, I still need to test his parts and update him with the newest software," she says. She looks faint, and leans back. Orbot recognises this and hovers into another room.

 "Good, good. I'm glad the dumbots were of some use to you," he says. Serene inwardly groans, and makes a small note of retaliation.

 "They were of plenty use. And they aren't necessarily dumb, just, eh, free spirited," she says, as Orbot comes back into the room with a glass of iced water, complete with a slice of lemon and a straw. Serenity takes the glass with a look and nod of thanks as the man continues to talk.

 "Fine, whatever. But I need that robot ready as soon as possible! Sonic has been as much of an annoyance as ever," he rambles. She now wears a look of excitement on her face. She always enjoyed hearing stories about the famous hedgehog and his friends, even if they were from her boss, who was mortal enemies with them.

 She squeezes the lemon into the water, stirs it around with a straw, then takes a quiet sip, listening to the ramble of her boss, when Cubot taps her arm. His blue LEDs flash red.

 "Hold on, Cubot needs to charge. Call me back on my normal phone. I'll plug it back in," Serenity says, prompting Orbot to plug in the phone, unplugged at some point, possibly to avoid being tracked.

 "Fine. Give me five minutes. And whenever the dumbots are done char-"

 "Free-spirited robots," she corrected him, interrupting. The man groans, annoyed.

 "Whatever. When they're done charging, I need them here, and I need you and Metal Sonic to come as well," he says. Serenity seems to be caught off guard.

 "What? Why?" She asks.

 "I can't say over the phone. But, I think someone is tapping into Orbot and Cubot's lines as well, too. I need you here in person," he says, before abruptly hanging up.

 "Wha? But- Ugh. That egghead hung up on me again," She complains, putting the phone away. Cubot hurriedly closes the hatch on his head before hovering to the charging station. Orbot has already started charging.

 "Be ready to leave when you're done," she says, but she was ignored as Cubot collapsed into a cube, not completely in the charging slot. She groans, getting up and moving him on properly.

 An alert sounds saying the update is complete for Metal Sonic, and she jogs over to the robot, unplugging it. She closes the hatch the port is in, and screws it tight, after pressing a button to turn the robot on. The black screen where it's eyes are meant to be flashes red, before turning back off. Then, red, beady eyes pierce the darkness.

 Serenity Midnight, the girl who repaired the robot with the help of two robots and a blueprint, as his eyes turn to her, with about the friendliest gaze LEDs could give. It makes a beeping, jumbled sound of glee before she can say a word. The two seem familiar with each other, maybe friends. Serenity finally speaks as the robot waves.

 "Hello again."

* * *

 The two-tailed fox named Tails stands at a desk, typing something into a laptop. The blue hedgehog, Sonic, lives up to his name by running in a circle on a loop, seemingly naturally made.

 "Sonic, I think I've tracked the next base to take down! It's not too far," Tails says, prompting the blur to skid to a stop.. At the top of the loop. But instead of falling off, he casually waltzes down and next to the fox as if nothing happened.

 "I will never understand how you do that.. Oh, here. It seems to be in the middle of nowhere. I have a satellite image now," the young fox says, pulling up a picture of a metal structure, looking to be embedded in a mountain. Another natural loop leads off of the side, and a few robots are scattered around the area. Sonic looks psyched, getting to explore a new place.

 "Okay! Let's go, Tails," he says, shutting the laptop and raring to go.

 "What about our vacation?" Tails asks, a little disappointed.

 "Alright. We can leave tomorrow," Sonic says, sensing the sad tone in his best friend's voice.

 "Okay. Should I call Amy and the others? Just so they know where we are?" The fox asks, opening up the laptop again.

 "Uh, Amy'll crush me either way, but having her in an Eggman base is dangerous. I don't think we should tell anyone yet. For their sake," Sonic replies, pacing a bit before his answer. Tails nods.

 "You make a good point. I'll make sure I have everything packed up before bed. Anyway, it's getting late, and I'm hungry. How about some Chili Dogs?" Tails asks, organizing a few things spread across the rock he's using as a desk.

 "Yess! You read my mind, buddy," Sonic says, again super exited. Tails chuckles as he closes the laptop again.

 "Come on. The stand won't be open forever," Tails says.

 "You got that right. Ready? Let's go!" Sonic yells, unintentionally kicking dust in the face of his best friend. But Tails simply shakes it off and flies behind him, following the trail of dust he creates. "Sonic! Wait up!"

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trust me, things will get serious. Eventually.
> 
> And yes I have a map of the entirety of the places up until around Sonic Heroes. I feel like the rest of the places are all like in other nations, which sounds weird, but I have a world map in my head, so it counts. :P 
> 
> Also '06 bug is cannon.
> 
> Still have like five more chapters to get up to date. Blegh. I wish I could import it directly from FFN but nope.


	3. Breaking Sound Barriers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Metal Sonic and Serenity do some training.
> 
> Sonic sells out a hot-dog stand and gets crushed by Amy.
> 
> Incoming Eggman.

 

* * *

The robot, freshly updated and repaired, makes a few beeps and noises, a garbled message difficult to make out. However, Serenity seems to understand it well.

 "Yes, it has been a little while. How do you feel? Everything normal?" She asks him, and the robot gives a nod. With it's new hand it gives an "OK" sign. Serenity seems relieved at this. She pulls out a clipboard from under the desk, marking a couple of things.

 "As much as I would love to catch up, work has to come first. The Boss wants you tested ASAP, then once that's finished and Orbot and Cubot have finished charging, he's hopefully sent a craft to pick us up. There's a testing area outside I set up, come check it out," She explains, in a professional stance.

 She holds the clipboard like a book in her arms, and pulls another pair of goggles from inside her quills. The robot makes a noise of understanding and stands. The two leave the workshop and test the robot's skills outside.

* * *

 "Aw, man! Already closed!?" A particularly grumpy blue hedgehog says.

 "Buddy, you ate em all! We're sold outta hot dogs n chili," a man says, standing behind a hot dog cart. He carries a strong Brooklyn accent across, his voice somewhat muffled by the hustle and bustle of Station Square.

 "Sorry, Sonic. Maybe you need to cut back anyway. 36 is a very big number of chili dogs," Tails says. Although he himself had five, 36 is by far too many.

 "Eh, you're right, Tails. I'm getting pudgy again.. But mainly cause there's nothing to do," Sonic says, poking at his full stomach. Suddenly, a scream rolls across the city like a sonic boom.

 "SONIIC!! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

 "Amy! Stop! I can't breathe!"

 A pink hedgehog calls, before dropping her absolutely huge mallet and squeezing the life out of Sonic. Tails pulls a worried expression and attempts to pull her back, allowing Sonic room to breathe. Before long, she does let go.

 "Where have you been? I've been worried sick about you! I haven't seen you in days," she says, arms crossed and annoyed.

 "We were on vacation for a little while. Sonic took me to see Green Hill zone for the first time," Tails says, flicking his tails in such a way that they look like they could be used as big, fluffy whips. They probably could be, considering he can fly with them.

 "Oh, I see. Is it really as pretty there as it sounds?" The girl asks. He nods with a sparkle in his eyes.

"You bet! It's got a..."

 Sonic decides to take the opportunity to bolt while Tails has her distracted, or risk being suffocated, or suffers a broken rib or three. He starts running the other way at a leisurely pace, about the speed of passing cars, then once he's out of the city he leaves the road and bolts in a random direction, just below the speed of sound to avoid damage to the nearby buildings. He learned that not all windows are sonic boom proof a while ago.

 After he's a reasonable distance away from the city, he starts running full speed, even skipping across a lake. As the mist kicks up behind him, a small rainbow follows the rush of blue. It'd have been beautiful to see if you could see the blur run.

 Suddenly, a low rumble knocks Sonic off balance, and he ends up slipping into the water. He panics a bit, before spindashing at the bottom, quickly spinning onto land. He skids to a stop and uncurls as another low rumble, a bit fainter then the last, shakes the land.

 'Earthquakes? That's new,' He thinks to himself, before another rumble, maybe stronger then the first, knocks him off his feet. He kneels and gets a sense of direction from where they're coming from, not necessarily intending to, just feeling something. He rushes up a hill to get a view of the landscape.

 Flickies fly out of trees and scatter from their homes, and a large hill in the background looks to be partially up in smoke. A robot half as tall as the skyscrapers around it seems to be causing the forest damage, and a helicopter with a logo of sorts on it follows. It looks red and black, but the lowering sun blocks his eyesight from going into further detail.

Sonic clenches his fist, thinking he knows this tactic better then others might, and runs toward the disaster zone, a sonic boom launched in mere seconds.

* * *

 "Great! Keep it up," Serenity yells, calling to the robot on some sort of obstacle course. It seems to ignore her as it pushes on.

 "I've never seen results like this. Really needed those upgrades.. He could pass as a tier five battle robot again," She mutters to herself, checking boxes off on her clipboard, writing something next to the preexisting letters, in a red pen. The robot hesitates before hovering over the pool of water in front of it.

 "Hmm.. Hopefully he's still watertight," she says, continuing her writing, but on a laptop instead. She's sat on a ledge, on top of the building, with a makeshift desk and some equipment.

 The sound of a somewhat quieter jet engine rumbles across the landscape, however it seems tolerable to the magenta hedgehog's sensitive ears, although they fold back some whenever a particularly loud spike in sound reaches them. She doesn't seem bothered by it, somehow, and can even hear the sound of a helicopter rumbling ever closer, even though the earthquakes that would usually be felt at the base of the building were drowned out from explosions in the battlefield.

 Serenity looks up and sees a tall robot, red, black, and silver matching the helicopter hovering above it. The robot stops it's approach and the helicopter speeds ahead, before landing in the middle of the battlefield Metal Sonic was testing his limits in.

 He makes a beep of annoyance, crossing it's arms as the pale cobalt training dummy is blown away. It has a crudely drawn face on it, however so torn up and burnt it can't be recognized.

 Serenity closes the laptop, sliding her lab coat off, revealing a second coat underneath it, one made of worn denim. She puts these things away in a bag, before folding the sheets of paper into a roll and sliding them into the denim jacket's pockets. They fade away as if there was a hole in the bottom, but they just disappear.

 She deftly leaps off the side of the building, throwing the bag in the air, before landing on a knee. She quickly stands and catches the delicate bag in a showoff-y fashion. She slides it over her shoulder before jogging on the field.

 "Doctor. Glad you could make it personally."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serenity's a showoff sometimes.
> 
> Also I'm pretty sure the fact Sonic eats so much is canon. Pretty sure.
> 
> Before questions are raised, Serenity and Metal Sonic are only friends like a doctor/returning patient would be. Cuz that's kinda how it is tbh.
> 
> And I would love to see people's interpretations of the running on water scene before I post mine.


	4. Don't Trust Him On A Spy Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonic sticks his nose where it doesn't belong, and gets stuck.
> 
> Serenity gets a mission and eats lunch.
> 
> Eggman does not like Metal Sonic trusting Serenity so much.

 The cobalt hedgehog, while not particularly easily blending in with the dirt and brush, somehow finds himself well hidden inside a tree. However, it's not a good spying angle, and he is.. Stuck.

 Very, _very_ stuck.

 Vines hidden in the leaves tighten like chains as he struggles, now in an awkward position, unable to see anything. He silently curses himself and listens instead. Facing away from the group, he hears a voice he doesn't recognise.

 "Doctor. Glad you could make it personally," she says. Sonic stays quiet.

 "Yes, yes. Come on, get Orbot and Cubot off charge. We have no time to fool around this time. I fear we are being followed," Eggman says, looking around, almost nervously.

Sonic winces as he regains his composure, pushing up his sunglasses as Serenity jogs into the lab of sorts. Almost immediately, she presses power buttons on the robots, and they quickly boot up. Orbot yawns and stretches his magnetic joints.

 "Is it time to leave already?" He asks. She nods and packs a few things into her pockets, more then should logically fit, which includes a couple USB drives, a pencil and small notepad, and she shoves a paper bag in her laptop case from the fridge. Bag swung over her shoulder she wordlessly walks out of the lab, locking the door with a padlock as she follows Orbot and Cubot.

 "Heya, boss! How was the flight? Did ya save me some peanuts?" Cubot asks as they hover up the steps of the helicopter.

 "Serenity, I have a bit of a.. Conundrum, you might say. I need your cooperation on the matter," Eggman says, following her and Metal Sonic up the steps. Serenity seems to groan at the mention of her first name, but nobody notices.

 The robotic hedgehog follows a quick, mumbled instruction from Eggman and begins to fly the chopper off the ground, taking to the air as Orbot and Cubot compact themselves again, into slots made for them. Eggman and Serenity both put on special headsets that allow them to communicate while drowning out the helicopter's sounds.

 "First name basis, though. What's up?" She asks, as Eggman looks troubled.

 "I have concocted another plan, but I can't get any of his friends away for bait. Always in.. Packs. So, I need your help for this," He says.

 "Well, don't leave me hanging! Out with it," Serenity gulps quietly after she says that. Her spiteful tone rung in Eggman's ears for a moment, but he let it slide.. Just this once.

 "Well then. What I need you to do..."

* * *

 

 Sonic curses himself as he falls out of the grip of the vines, just as the helicopter leaves the ground.

 "Dang it! I almost had it," He says. Usually, he rushes into things, but the last few times haven't worked out well.

 First he turned Eggman's shiny new weapon against them both, forcing them to team up. Then, he got his best friend, Tails, captured. And before that he got taken into limbo because he rushed to attack too soon. Since his bad luck streak with such things, he decided it was best this time to think before he makes a bad move. However, this time it seems rushing in might have worked out better.

 Sonic dusts himself off, half hidden in the tall grass. The giant robot suddenly turns to follow the helicopter, knocking Sonic back into the grass and dirt. He decides to stay down until the tremors stop knocking him over.

 After this, he walks into the clearing and crosses his arms, looking after the chopper. Standing like this for a moment, he suddenly decides to head back to Station Square and tell the others to get on their guard.

* * *

 

 "Wait.. You're not kidding me here?" Serenity asks, in a bit of shock.

 "You heard the plan. Tough rubber if you don't like it. Now, will you do that for me?" Eggman says, waiting for affirmation from her. She pauses for a moment, considering her options.

 'If I do this, I could..' She rambles off things that she could do if she agrees to this.

 'Ugh, I guess I don't have a choice,' She thinks, finishing the thought process. She glares at Eggman for a moment before nodding, eyes closed.

 "Fine. But I'm not doing this again if it goes wrong, Eggman," she says, crossing her arms. The clanking of the robot below stops, noting they are at home base.

 "Good! Orbot and Cubot will have it ready soon. As for now, find Sonic. Get on his good side. See if you can get any Emeralds while you're at it," He says, standing as the helicopter lands with a thunk.

 The blades slow and Serenity doesn't even wait for them to stop before tossing off the headphones and leaping out. Her laptop bag has disappeared somewhere, but it's not inside the cockpit.

 "See ya later, Metal! Sorry we couldn't catch up," She waves. Eggman groans and rubs his forehead, as the robot waves back.

 "Do you really have to constantly be around.. Her?" He says, and the robot simply shrugs, leaving the cockpit.

* * *

 

 Serenity begins a run through the forest, rather fast, but not as fast as even Tails. She soon comes across a large stump in a clearing.

 "Well, lunch couldn't hurt," she says, sitting down on it. She pulls her laptop bag from her quills and pulls the paper bag from it, setting the lavender case to the side. She opens the bag and pulls out a sandwich and a bag of chips. She eats her late lunch in silence, watching the clouds drift across the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo, a little buildup finally. I love it when things come together.
> 
> There is indeed an issue with the chapter posting though and I'm looking into fixing it. Should be fixed by the next chapter is up.


	5. Loose Baggage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serenity, Tails, and Amy bump into each other.
> 
> Sonic finds a strange bag and catches up with the three.
> 
> A man yells into a phone about clothes and soup.

 

* * *

 As Serenity finishes her food, she packs up and walks in the general direction of Station Square, the biggest city for miles on miles around. She figured she could take a fresh look around the city, maybe find some of Sonic's friends.

 She makes it there, or at least to the outskirts of the city, just before the sun goes down. She's passing through a park, when a man in pink house slippers catches her glance for a moment. He seems to be arguing over the phone about soup and clothes, and a child in a striped sweater is standing next to him, looking like they don't give a crap about anything going on around them. Serenity simply sits on a bench not too far from them. 

 "What do you mean, you're at soup?" The man begins to yell, as she pulls out her phone and looks through her few notifications. She opens up a notepad app, but what she's writing can't be read properly. 

 "Why are you buying clothes at the soup store!?" The man yells, and she can't help but chuckle at the antic. The kid still has a poker face going, and that makes her get up and leave, or risk busting a gut.

 She starts laughing in an alley, passing into the main square. But before she knows it, she walks right into a pink, red, white and yellow mass. She doesn't have a chance to make it out before she stumbles backwards onto her tail.

* * *

 As Tails and Amy talk, it doesn't take too long before they notice they're one hedgehog down.

 "Sonic? Where'd you go?" Tails asks. They had been talking for a while now, at least half an hour. How they didn't notice Sonic's disappearance sooner, it can't be told.

 "I know where he might be! Come on," Amy suddenly says, rushing in a random direction and yanking the poor fox cub along, but not before grabbing her hammer and putting it away in (appropriately named) hammer space. 

 "Amy! Stop," Tails complains, before using his tails to keep up with the rushing pink and red blur. But as they turn a corner, they ram into something and fall back. Amy hits her head against the offending purple, while Tails gets yanked to the ground all of a sudden. 

 The three make various sounds of pain and annoyance, and for some reason Amy rushes to greet the magenta hedgehog like she would Sonic, calling her such and with many apologies. 

 "Ohmygoshsonicimsosorrycouldyoueverforgiveme- ..Oh. You're not Sonic," She says, with Serenity in a daze. When she grabbed her and lifted her into the air, nuzzling into the denim jacket, neither could tell. 

 "No.. I'm not. I mean, curved quills, wearing clothes, not blue.. Isn't it a little obvious? Heh. I'm sorry, I should have been paying more attention to where he was going. My name is Mis.. Uh, Midnight. Serenity Midnight," Serenity says. Amy seems embarrassed, but introduces herself anyway. Serenity looks surprised at her name, but doesn't say anything.

 "Uh, I'm Miles Prower. But you can call me Tails," The fox says, itching the back of his head. 

 "Yeah, you guys can call me Serene. Easier to say, I suppose," Serenity, nicknamed Serene now, says.

"So, you said you know Sonic the Hedgehog, right?"

* * *

 Well.. He can't say he knows where he is.. But he probably wouldn't outright say he was lost, either.

 Sonic the Hedgehog is a.. A bit tangled up in vines. 

 Again.

 As he spindashes the offending greenery away, he seems to lose his sense of direction and accidentally, eyes closed, walks into a tree. Spindashing can do that to you, due to the fact you're spinning at about 200 miles per hour. It's dizzying.

 Sonic shakes it off and tries to contemplate what to do next. Unfortunately, running may not be the best idea at the moment, since it got him caught in the vines in the first place, and in turn it got his face in the side of a tree.

 He doesn't seem fazed in the least by this, and instead decides it might be best to simply head back in the general direction of town, and comes across a clearing where he can get a sense of where he is. However, the cobalt hedgehog notices a few traces of someone being here, which includes sandwich crumbs and a bag of some sort.

 As he picks it up, it has a tag attached, saying for it to be brought to someone named "Missy" or "Serenity Midnight," the latter written in some purple marker, rather then the printed former.

 "Huh. Guess somebody lost it. Maybe I should look for this 'Missy' person," Sonic mumbles to himself, and follows a trail of footsteps that closely copy his own. But, for some reason, they have an imprint on them of a logo similar to his iconic one, but with curved and round quills. He follows these footsteps all the way to Station Square.

* * *

 It doesn't take horribly long to reach town, but as he's not running very fast at all, it must have felt like hours to the cobalt hedgehog, not wanting to spring some trap or run into more vines. 

 'Vegetation seems to be my enemy today,' he thinks, as he "jogs" (Running at about 80 miles per hour) through the park, the small pink bag he had found tucked away in his hammerspace, nestled away inside his quills. 

 It's not long before he spots Amy, Tails, and Serene walking down the street, conversing. Of course, Amy is the first to notice the streak of cobalt, headed towards them quickly. Serene acts on instinct it seems, stopping dead in her tracks and moving into a motion where she crosses her arms over her head, like an X. She seems startled and very worried when the blue blur stops in front of them, but the three seem to ignore her defensive motion for the most part.

 "Wha? Why couldn't I.. Wait, is my.. Oh god," Serene mutters to herself, staring at her hands for a moment, as the hedgehogs and the fox converse, Amy being yanked away from Sonic once again. Once he is released from her grip, Tails introduces them to each other. 

 "Hey, Serene, this is Sonic. Sonic, meet Serenity Midnight, or Serene for short," He says, and the two hedgehogs shake hands. 

 "Sonic, the blue blur. I've heard a lot of things about you. Great things. It's nice to finally meet a hero like you," The magenta hedgehog says, a small note of exaggeration in her voice. Sonic seems off-put by her, if only a little. before pulling the sack from his quills. 

 "Oh, that reminds me. I found this on a stump in the forest, says to return it to you. It yours?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta have those comedic shoes. It just works.
> 
> Chapter issue has been fixed now. For some reason there was like 6 chapters that were the same one. Not sure how that happened but it has been repaired.


	6. Fresh Faces and Fast Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serene gets her items returned to her.
> 
> The gang takes a dinner break.
> 
> That man is still yelling about soup and clothes.

 

* * *

 "Y- Yes! That's mine. I must have lost it at lunch. Thanks," Serene says, a little relief in her tone, before grabbing the bag and shoving it away in her pocket, for it to melt away into hammerspace. Amy notices it glow a green and cyan, right before it does, but she ignores it for the moment.

 "No problemo," Sonic says, looking a bit more unnerved now. He must have noticed the glow, too. Serene sees this and crosses her arms, shifting her weight slightly nervously.

 "Uh, hey, you guys wanna grab dinner? I'll uh, I'll pay," She says, trying to shift attention to something else.

 "I could eat," Amy says, and Sonic and Tails hum in agreement.

 "Great! I know a great diner nearby," Serene adds, gesturing for them to follow. Sonic flanks her, Amy behind, trying to get as close to Sonic as she can without being noticed or shoved back by Tails. Serene doesn't dare intervene, her attention more on leading the group and the sunset ahead then the group's conversations.

* * *

 

 Not long after, (but still too long for Sonic's taste,) they come across a small restaurant, one with a 70s type vibe inside. Tails gets rather exited at the jukebox and uses up quite a few rings choosing songs, while Amy fawns over the decorations. And Sonic? Well, he just looks kinda bored.

 He and Serene are ordering the food, and they settle on just.. A lot of chili dogs and fries. Serene looks appalled at how much he orders, but she puts on a happy face whenever someone looks, even though she sulks inside about the check throughout the visit. The cashier seems ecstatic, though.

 "Right away, sir!" He calls, before running into the back. A chorus of laughter screeches from one of the tables, and the four sit in a corner booth.

 "So, what'd you order, Sonic?" Amy asks Sonic.

 "A lot of chili dogs and fries," Serene replies for him, and Amy glares daggers at her. She throws her hands up in surrender, inching further against the wall as Sonic sits next to her.

 "So, that bag you have. What's in it?" Tails pries.

 "Uh.. J- Just some of my.. Rings," Serene hastily replies. Everyone looks at her in confusion for a moment, but they let it slide.

 "If you say so.." He adds, cut off by some more loud laughter. Serene seems relieved that he dropped the subject.

 "Anyway, did you just move around here or what? I've never seen you around before, and I'll admit, Möbians are kinda rare in the city. Most have lived around here their whole lives, so it's.. Strange to see a fresh face," Sonic asks, helping arrange the food between everyone.

 "Honestly, I'm here on.. A work trip, I suppose. I live pretty far in the forest. Near the boarder between Green Hill and Emerald Hill. But, usually I stay at work because of how far away I live. It's closer to here then my house. Eh, you don't wanna hear me talk. I'm boring," Serene replies, looking very bored. She seems to find the fabric of her white gloves, and her food, more interesting then her explanation.

 "Not really. You seem like an interesting person," Tails says. Sonic has stayed somewhat quiet now, due to the fact he's been stuffing his face. Serene looks over at him to see chili all over his muzzle and chest. He glances over at her like she's crazy, stopping his food fest for a moment.

 "You, uh, got a little chili.. Everywhere," She chuckles, handing him a napkin. "Do you have to eat so much to run that fast? I've kinda wondered for a while," She asks, and he nods, wiping himself down.

 "Yeah, he does. But sometimes his stomach is a bottomless pit just because it can be," Tails explains, as Sonic's voice is muffled through the food, due to the fact he's immediately stuffing his face again. Serene picks at her fries before eating a few, definitely enjoying them, as everyone else eats.

 "You were right about this place though, it's great for chili dogs," Sonic finally says, his (absolutely huge) plate licked clean.

 "God, Sonic, you're a walking vacuum, aren't you?" Serene chuckles.

 "Hey!" Sonic says, as Amy is again, glaring daggers at her.

 "Whoa, easy, I'm just joking. I can do that with a guy who wolfed down like thirty chili dogs in one sitting," Serene retorts, throwing her hands up. She splatters chili on her face as she does this, but she wipes it off quickly. Amy decides to back off, but the occasional glance unnerves her.

 "Here's your check, sir," the man from before says.

 "I got it. I said it was on me, right?" Serene says, pulling a card from her pocket.

 'God, I can't believe I'm wasting my emergency money on dinner. I just hope they don't make me do this again. I'd be flat broke if I had to,' She thinks, sliding it over.

 "I'll be right back," the man says, jogging back to the kitchen.

 "Sonic, we should come here more often! This place is great!" Amy starts fawning over Sonic again, somehow holding it in during dinner.

 "Okay, okay Amy, can you- Let go, Amy, get off the table, Amyy," Sonic attempts to push Amy away as she hugs him from over the table. Serene sighs and Tails rolls his eyes.

"How often does she do this?" She asks.

"Too often," He responds.

* * *

 

 After more general chit chat, Tails was called to somewhere important, but he didn't say where. Amy and Sonic decided to tag along, leaving Serene alone again.

 "See you soon," she says as they leave. She lets out a sigh and slumps down on the park bench. The man from before is still there, still arguing about soup. Serene pulls her bag from her pocket, and a red flip phone, setting the phone to the side. She opens the bag and peers at the objects inside.

 There was two, one green and one cyan, Chaos Emeralds. They glow and shimmer in the dark, and Serene grabs the phone and dials a number. She puts the phone to her ear as it rings, the look on her face slightly nervous, as her boss speaks.

 "Well well well. I heard you're already on their better side. How much longer?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realised how much of a slow-burn this is. Wow. Almost nothing is happening. That'll change soon, though. :P
> 
> And gah, trying to reformat this chapter was a huge pain. Seems to be working okay now though.
> 
> And I refuse to tell you about the fact that I think there may be men breaking into our house at night and stealing all our spoons. It'll make me seem insane.


	7. Serene's Bad Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serene makes a call, has a new plan, and falls out of a tree.
> 
> Amy, a rabbit, and a chao drag Sonic along to a shopping district.
> 
> Enter (and exit) strange fox lady.

 

* * *

Serene holds the phone awkwardly to just below her ear, the old flip phone designed for humans rather then Möbians.

 "I can't be sure if they'll come after me, but I have a feeling that at least Sonic might. He seems a little.. Like he feels he can get out of any situation. Judging by what you've told me, he's fought a giant water monster, blown up the Death Egg multiple times, gotten stuck in books, turned into a werewolf and back, and got lost in time and space twice.. I can see why he thinks that. But he.. He won't be getting out of this," She says, quietly sighing at the end. She fiddles with her glove as Eggman speaks.

 "Yes, yes. But can we put our plan into action soon?" he asks. Serene nods, forgetting he can't see her for a moment.

 "Yes sir. I will call when I see them next," she says, the discomfort she seems to have leaking into her voice a bit.

 "Good. I will have everything ready to go by tomorrow morning. I hope to see you by then, Midnight," Eggman says, hanging up quickly. She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding when she closes her phone.

 "God, that man scares me. But... Is this okay? I could.. But I need the money," She mumbles, staring at the phone. After a long moment of thought, a determined look crosses her face.

 "That's it. I'm going to do it. I've had enough," she finalizes, putting her stuff in hammer space, before climbing a large, sturdy tree. She lies on a questionable brach, but the only one big enough to lie on comfortably out of sight.

 She looks through the leaves, stripping off her denim jacket and folding it behind her head. The sleeves of her yellow shirt are like a T-shirt, but they're made of a yellow mesh that goes under her arm before hitting the bottom.

 She stares out a hole in the branches and leaves, looking out at the stars above her. If one were to look, they'd probably see the Death Egg being rebuilt in the distance. Serene closes her eyes, muttering something under her breath, before quickly falling asleep in a dreamless slumber.

* * *

 

 The morning comes quickly. It's about 8 am whenever Serene is awoken with a creak of the branch she sits on, and a clawing on her exposed stomach. She lightly groans as she cracks open one eye.

 A few flickies have gathered on her stomach, an eagle, a blue bird, and a.. Pig? She blinks and rubs her eyes with a gloved hand, before looking at them with rather wide eyes. The eagle steps on her chest and they seem to have a staring contest for a minute.

 Eventually, it grabs her nose in it's beak. Serene squeals in pain, grabbing it, before the blue bird grabs the pig and flies off with it in it's claws. The eagle quickly follows suit.

 "Dang it, that hurt.. What was that?" She complains, stopping short when she hears a loud creak from the tree.

 "Uh..." She grabs her folded denim jacket, before realizing it's not there. The branch lurches, then snaps, sending her flying down a good ten feet. She hits the ground with a loud crack of the branch and a pop in her shoulder and back.

 She yelps in pain, before sitting up, another startled yelp sounding. The branch, as well as Serene, landed right on top of a fox, with long, teal hair swept in a ponytail, and a red dress and heels. A lone tail whips around a little in agitation and pain both. Serene quickly scrambles to her feet, apologising to the fox girl.

 "I'm sorry, I was sleeping in the tree, and, well," she says, before getting cut off.

 "Hey, I'm fine. Is this yours? I saw it and came to see," the fox says, standing up and handing her the jacket.

 "Yeah. Thanks," she says, grabbing it and quickly slipping it back on.

 "No prob! Maybe I'll see ya around. Bye for now," the fox says, deep green eyes bursting with some kind of emotion (Joy? Excitement? She can't tell) as she turns to run in the other direction. Serene looks to her back, startled.

 She shrugs anyway, checking the pockets of the jacket, and is relieved to see everything in her hammer space is still there. She sighs and begins to head back towards the city, checking the time on her phone as she leaves.

* * *

 

 Serene makes it to Station Square quickly, and she's walking down a shopping district, narrowly avoiding at least three cars.

 Teal eyes catch pink, blue, and a cream color as she strolls. She has to peek under the crowd in order to see them clearly, and lo and behold, Amy, Sonic, and a rabbit girl with a chao she doesn't recognize. The girls seem to be dragging him along on a shopping trip.

 Serene quickly grabs her phone, looking at it a moment, and sighs, dialing a number. Whoever she called picked up quickly, and she quickly hung up after she speaks just a sentence.

 "Station square, shopping district, in front of some wedding store," she says, before shoving the phone closed and into her pocket. She jogs across a walkway before waving.

 "Hey guys! I was wondering if I'd see you here!" She says, catching up to them. It looks like Amy was dragging Sonic along more then the rabbit, who looks no more then seven years old. She looks up at her, mildly startled.

 "Oh, hi Serene. Good to see you again! What are you doing here?" Amy asks. Serene stiffens a moment, before relaxing again.

 "Oh, just looking around. Mainly, I, uh.. I have a rip in a pair of my gloves I need thread for," she lies, and it prompts a suspicious look from Amy, but she seems to shrug it off.

 "Cmon, Rene, don't be afraid to tell me you're out buying clothes too! Huh? Oh. Serene, this is Cream, and her chao is Cheese. Cream, this is Serenity Midnight, but she likes to be called Serene," Amy finally introduces the two. Cream and Serene wave at each other, and suddenly Cheese flies into Serene's face. He starts saying "Chao" repeatedly, looking exasperated about something.

 "Cheese, don't be rude.. I'm sorry, he's not normally like this," Cream says, pulling the chao back and hugging him to her chest like a doll. He huffs as Serene chuckles.

 "It's okay. I just wonder what he was so frustrated about.. Uh, you okay Sonic? Been a little- He's not there." 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serene was randomly shortened by Amy.
> 
> I have this headcanon where Chao are sensitive to people and Mobians. Cheese is frustrated because he can sense where Serene's been and who she is, but nobody else notices.
> 
> Forgot to upload this chapter during my catchup spree last night so here it is. Next chapter should be up around Monday maybe.


	8. Operation Sevenfold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serene, Amy, Cream and Cheese go shopping... Or not.
> 
> Sonic gets stuck in a hole... Or not.
> 
> The gang defeats a giant Eggman robot... Or not. Definitely not.

 The others look at the spot where Sonic was standing in disbelief, Serene with a look of surprise and mild fear. It's going to go so wrong. So, so wrong.

 "Oh, I can't believe he left again! I wonder where he went this time," Amy pouts. Cream and Cheese look mildly disappointed, but Cream rebounds quickly with a burst of realization.

 "Maybe we can go shopping with miss Serene instead?" She asks, looking exited. Amy looks between the two girls before the same face of realization hits. Serene smiles warmly, but she still breaks into a cold sweat.

 "Y- Yeah, let's do that. Sounds fun! I can just grab my g- groceries later, i suppose," She chuckles, fiddling with the cusp of her glove a moment. Amy grins mischievously. 

 "Jeez, you aren't fooling anyone, Serene," She says. Serene looks as if she was just electrocuted.

 "W- What do you m- mean?" She stutters. There's an awkward pause as Amy leans in a bit. Cream and Cheese look on totally confused and startled.

 "You," Amy pokes Serene's stomach, "Just wanted an excuse," Scary, almost evil grin, "To see Sonic again."

 ...

 "What?" "Huh?" "Chao?" Were the replies. Amy steps back, a mild annoyed look on her face. "You heard me."

 "That's.. Oh my Mobius lady you jump to conclusions big time. No, that's, hah, not it. Like at all. I just needed food and thread for my gloves and saw you guys here. Mobius no!" Serene states, before buckling over laughing. The tension visibly eases immensely, Amy no longer glaring. Even Cream and Cheese giggle a little at the wild accusation. Amy sighs and crosses her arms.

 "There's something about you that unnerves me, Serene. You remind me of someone, I just can't place who," She mumbles, nobody noticing as Serene recovers from her laughing fit, brushing herself off.

 "But seriously, you shouldn't go jumping to conclusions like that. Gonna get yourself in trouble that way," She says, and both other girls nod. "Good, now let's go shopping."

_Rumble._

 "Wait, what was that?" Amy asks. Cream looks startled.

_Rumble._

 "An earthquake maybe?" Serene says, looking just as startled.

  _ **Rumble**_.

 "I'm scared," Cream states. Cheese wiggles from her grip and gets into a fighting position.

_**RUMBLE.** _

 "Something's very wrong," Serene says, getting into a fighting position, after pulling the pink bag from her pocket. She loops the long string around her neck like a pendant.

  _ **RUMBLE.**_

_**RUMBLE.** _

_**RUMBLE.** _

 'Initiate operation sevenfold,' Serene thinks to herself.

* * *

 Sonic's stuck again. It seems to be the usual for him now.

 This time he's stuck in a hole.

 Well, he's not really stuck. He was running away from his friends (captors) and slipped into a large indent in the wet soil. It seems like a giant footprint, but he can't be sure. He climbs out of the gap and looks it over.

 Eggman's logo was indented in, and there seems to be a few others in one direction. He runs the way they seem to be headed towards, taking care to not fall in any more.

* * *

 

_**RUMBLE.** _

 The girls are fighting ready, save for Cream, who's completely unsure of what's going on. The three seem to be backed into a circle, while the Overlanders are panicking, fleeing in every direction. Serene is in a stance like her wrists are her weapons, and Amy has her hammer at the ready to do some damage.

_**RUMBLE.** _

 "Look! It's one of Eggman's big robots," Comes the pointer from Cream. Cheese is flying around, ready to flee or fight.

  _ **RUMBLE**_. 

 The others turn, and Serene stands normally, cracking her knuckles.

_**RUMBLE.** _

"Oh this is gonna be fun. Been too long since Egghead did anything against me. Always focusing on the truly meddling hedgehogs, I suppose. Ready?" Serene states, before breaking out in a full on sprint, leaving the others behind and confused. They do run after her quickly, though.

 Suddenly, the robot that was coming into the city is attacked, but it's not by the three. It's stopped attempting to walk and is instead fighting off the attacker.

 _"Crap,"_ Serene whispers under her breath.

 It's Sonic.

 "He's gonna get hurt fighting that alone. C'mon!" She commands, the others following as they bolt at full speed. They quickly reach the robot's feet, and Serene starts leaping and climbing up the metallic structure.

 "Serene! What are you doing!?" Amy calls. The blue blur stops it's attack at seeing this, resting on the robot's head.

 "Climbing!" Serene simply puts it. Amy groans annoyedly and starts smashing it's foot aimlessly.

 "Serene? What are you _doing_ here!?" Sonic calls once the two are standing on the robot's arm.

 "I was in the market and heard rumbles, then saw this hunka junk," The arm begins to lower itself, so the two move to the shoulder. "Couldn't help but notice you rushing in to attack, and I wanted to help out."

 Sonic does _not_ look pleased.

 "Yeah, yeah. I can fight too, y'know," Serene says, and lightly punches the robot to prove her point.

 Sonic _still_ does _not_ look pleased.

 "Thanks for the support," She remarks, before leaping onto the head and drop-kicking a weak spot in the robot's head.

 "Make the arms hit here!" She commands after seeing the sparks fly out of the red, glowing hatch-like area. Sonic nods and runs down another arm. The robot begins to shake as the foot is flattened. Suddenly, though, instead of attacking the head like it was supposed to, it snatches Serene right off the head.

 "Hey! Let me go ya big metal _creep!"_ She threatens.

 "Thought you could get away again, Serenity? Not this time! Say goodbye to your new friend, Sonic!" Eggman calls, in a hovermobile of sorts far above the crowd, and way out of Sonic's reach. He instead homing attacks the hand, to no effect, as the metal monstrosity turns. It shakes as it walks on the damaged foot. 

 "Hey! Let her go! You don't have a beef with her, do ya!?" Sonic calls, continually attacking the hand Serene is clutched in. She futilely attacks the hand herself, only earning herself an electric shock and a transfer into a cavity that opened a moment ago. She dashes to escape, but the clear door is closed too quickly. She curses under her breath.

 "Toodleloo, _hedgehog!"_ Eggman's voice echoes with a condescending laugh.

 Sonic looks pissed, on the ground after getting knocked off the robot at some point.

 Amy looks like she somewhat expected this to happen.

 Cream and Cheese look worried.

 Because their new friend Serene was just _kidnapped_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo incoming plotty goodness.
> 
> Yes it's kinda late but it's still technically monday so :P
> 
> Also, i fixed the chapter names and brought my profile over from FFN finally. It needed to be done.
> 
> And i'm surprised i have like 10 hits and 2 kudos in a short day like whaaaaa you guys are awesome like really.
> 
> For those who are wondering, "Operation Sevenfold" is literally just payback for something. Serene got a clever name for it tho xD


	9. Until The Light Shines No More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serene meets a metal wall and unconsciousness for tea.
> 
> The gang find a way to break Serene out.
> 
> Serene falls down.

  Serene sits alone in the glass chamber of the bot, leaning up against the wall.

  
 "You did well, Midnight. We can easily put phase three into action now," Eggman's voice sails through a speaker inside the chamber.

  
 "Yeah," Serene simply says. She fiddles with her torn glove, her hand the same color as her quills. Suddenly, explosions sound outside the robot, and mechanical whirring overwhelms her ears. Her quills go sharper and stiffen as she looks out the window making up the entirety of one wall. She doesn't get a chance to before she's thrown against the opposite wall, knocking her out instantly.

* * *

  She wakes up a while later in a small cage, inside a massive room. She sits up, noticing the shackles on her ankles and wrists. She has no idea what's going on, or where she is. All she knows is she's in a cage and that she has a massive headache.

 She thinks a bit and remembers being thrown up against a wall and realises she probably has a concussion. She makes a mental note to visit a doctor after she gets out of here.

 Oh.

 How is she going to get out of here?

 She flops back down on her side and thinks more about what happened.

 She remembers the plan Eggman hatched (heh) and the one she came up with, and how she was "Kidnapped," but she can't remember how she was flinged into a wall. She suspects the foot on the machine collapsed and it fell, and Eggman got her out and into this cage by the time she woke up.

 Everything is set, so all she can do is wait. She looks the room over now that she has a chance.

 Everything seems to drop off around her, apart from a rickety-looking metal bridge connecting her platform to the outside world. The dropoff seems to glow a pale cyan, and there doesn't seem to be any handrails. A dark corridor is the only glimpse she gets across the bridge.

 It seems like a scene from a video game or a movie to her, if she was honest.

 The cage is in the shape of a tube, with a circular top, like a typical birdcage. It has a door facing the bridge. Something about the whole scene unnerves her. She leans up against a bar and lets her mind wander for a bit.

* * *

 Back in Station Square, everyone has gathered at Amy's apartment to figure out what to do about the situation.

 "There was something about her that I didn't like, but I didn't think.." Amy hums, arms crossed. Tails sighs.

 "That she was in a bad stance with Eggman? Me neither," Tails says.

 Now that Sonic, Amy, and Cream have filled Tails in, the group decided to leave Knuckles out of it. He had a Master Emerald to guard, after all, and he probably wouldn't care much anyway, since he didn't know her.

 "I think we should get a rescue mission in order, and fast. We have no idea what egg-breath wants with her," Sonic suggests. The others nod and they think up a plan.

 Once they find where Eggman is keeping her, they will gather a few others up to take on Eggman's robots. While they have him distracted, Sonic will speed in and rescue her, and she'll probably help them fight off the robots enough to escape. It's a simple plan, but it will likely work better then just rushing right in.

 The others agree on a time and date to meet up next, in a couple of days, and they all leave.

 They have some research to do.

* * *

 One thing Serene learned during the two-day stay here, the temperature fluctuates. A lot. If she estimated it right, it can go from ninety degrees Fahrenheit to thirty degrees in about five to ten minutes. She wonders if it's some form of torture.

 Some time later some metallic clanking and explosions roused her from her meditative state she relaxed into. Her spines sharpen, then relax as she figures out who it is. She stands and looks around as a door is busted down somewhere nearby.

 It's none other then Sonic the Hedgehog dashing over the bridge, up to her cage. She pulls her hands up to the bars as he fiddles with the lock.

 "Sonic! You have to leave!" She hisses quietly, in fear of Eggman overhearing.

 "Nah. We got him overwhelmed at the moment trying to fight us off. I don't think he noticed I slipped in," he says, finally yanking the lock off the bars. Serene groans a bit at him not listening, but relents as he picks the locks on her chains. They snap quickly, and instead of totally unlocking the one on her wrist, she snaps the one on her leg onto her other wrist to use like nunchucks.

 "Now go! I'll be out soon. Have you not noticed the flashing red lights yet!?" She snaps, shoving him out of the cage and onto the bridge. It creaks with the weight, but holds.

 "Alright, alright, jeez. We aren't leaving without ya, though," He ends the conversation on that, rushing off with Serene chasing after him slowly.

 The laser comes out of nowhere, cutting through the platform her cage was on like butter. The cage slips off the pole and weighs down the bridge enough to make it bend and threaten to snap. Serene squeals and bolts across, but it snaps, and she falls with the bridge, Sonic calling after her.

 She passes the source of the blue light, a laboratory with the dropoff cutting right through it, possibly to help support the building, due to how thick the walls seem. After that, everything gets dark.

 And it gets darker.

 And it gets yet darker.

 Until the light shines apon her no more.

 She lands unceremoniously at the bottom with a thud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just can't stop leaving you people on cliffhangers, can I? Sorry about that.
> 
> I almost forgot to post this to here today tbh. Just had to format it properly for this site.
> 
> I have no idea why I love that ending so much though. Yknow, 
> 
> "After that, everything gets dark.
> 
> And it gets darker.
> 
> And it gets yet darker.
> 
> Until the light shines apon her no more."
> 
> It's just so dramatic and strange and poetic and I referenced Undertale with it again. God, I'm a never ending Waterfall of those, aren't I?  
>  ...  
>  Dammit I did it again.

**Author's Note:**

> Weellll, if you read the summary for the fic, you'll know that this work is currently on an indefinite hiatus until i can figure out how to advance with this fic, my other works, and work on my art. Recently i have bitten off more than i can chew, and i need to cut back on things. 
> 
> I have been working on sprite work, composing, design work, and plotting for what may eventually turn into a fan game. Not sure yet on this, but if so i really want this to be my all. As of now, i'm looking into learning to code on Gamemaker Studio, working with an engine i found. 
> 
> It's going to be a while before i work more on this, and i may never get back into this fandom as much as i used to. Other things have my attention, and i'm sorry for this, but for right now, this is what i want to do. Thank you so much for reading, and i hope to see you again in the future!
> 
> ~Best regards, Serenity "Serene" Midnight.
> 
> Stay determined, everyone. I'm sure i'll come back soon.


End file.
